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What do you like about the way math is taught at your school?
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Anonymous
| Looking for some positive examples. Thanks. |
Anonymous
| I posted on a previous thread about EDM and how we left our school in part due to the poor math program. New school uses a combination of systems and resources. Also teach single sex math. Class size about 8 kids. Teachers always available to kids at school or after. They also make the classes fun via their energy or fun puzzles to solve. |
Anonymous
|
Not the OP, but definitely interested in this topic of discussion. Let's not go off-topic on EDM. There are plenty of threads devoted to that.
Most privates and publics in our area use that. But which school is really good at teaching Math? I feel it isn't talked enough about. |
Anonymous
| Does anyone know what Green Acres uses. |
Anonymous
| Our school utilizes EDM and supplmental programs I must state as an educator I like the program. I feel that my DC has developed a true number sense and can make many connections among mathematics concepts as well as apply understandings to more challenging mathematics concepts. DC is able to perform many mathematics concepts mentally and when asked to explain his/her thinking is able to do so. I prefer this method vs. rote memorization and inability to understand why you must regroup or see the connection between skip counting and mulitplication and division. I really enjoy the way DC is learning mathematics. |
Anonymous
| For the early years -- Montessori Schools can't be beat for how they teach math and integrate math skills into everyday life. |
Anonymous
|
OP here. I appreciate the replies, but like 17:27, I'm hoping this doesn't turn into another debate over EDM. Nor am I really interested in knowing which particular school does math best. What would really be helpful for me is specific examples of what impresses you about how your kids are taught math. Is there a math bunch? Is math well-integrated into the rest of the curriculum--reading, art, music, etc. Does the school have an effective way of communicating that math is important and interesting? Do they separate boys and girls at some age? How large are math classes? Is there a particularly effective approach to homework? Etc.
Thanks very much. |
Anonymous
enVisions with supplementation as needed. Differentiated instruction too. |
Anonymous
Are they happy? |
Anonymous
| Anyone else happy with the way your school teaches math? |
Anonymous
| Our school uses EDM with supplementation and I like it a lot. I feel like my kids are learning the math concepts better than I did as a child and seem to hit complex concepts earlier like square roots, early prealgebra, etc. The supplementation involves a lot of problem solving and logic questions, which my kids like to do and view as a challenge. The rote memorization piece of learning the times tables, etc. is done a little bit later and is not a big deal. From my perspective, the most important thing is that my kids like math and are learning math skills without being bored to tears by drills and worksheets. (I will confess that the spiraling curriculum of EDM does not bother me because I think it is more interesting for the kids to change topics and that they benefit from readdressing a concept like fractions in multiple years at different levels). |
Anonymous
Totally agree. Montessori schools are great about teaching math in a hands-on way so that kids really absorb the information and understand the how and why of what they're doing, not just how to plug through the steps to arrive at an answer. |
Anonymous
|
We've had experience with two local montessori schools and now a well-known dc private. The montessori schools do a truly fabulous job with math. They teach big concept with physical, hands-on materials - and really get things to click with the kids. Both our children were doing 3-digit addition/subtraction by the end of their third years (kindergarten) and had a good intellectual foundation for multiplication and division.
By contrast, our prestigious dc private school - which has a newly revamped math curriculum and genuinely seems to care about improving its program - has not at all met our expectations. Our kid is now on her third year of learning rudimentary addition/subtraction, bored out of her mind... I think they teach towards the middle/bottom, and the kids that "get it" quickly are just left to entertain themselves. If you have the chance to do montessori through 3rd or 6th grade, go for it. It is (in my view) the best option for interested, bright kids. |
Anonymous
I agree. I'm amazed at what my almost 5 year old is learning. It's all manipulatives to teach kids what the concepts underlying arithmetic are...He's creating bead cubes to understand what it means to cube a number, etc. |
Anonymous
| BTW, my colleagues who do professional development for math teachers say EDM is a good program. The issue is most teachers are not trained how to use it and don't really understand the underlying math concepts. |